ABILITIESme is a multilayered event that features a conference, exhibition, workshops, certified training programs, sporting and kid’s activities and the annual Skills Challenge focused on improving the quality of life of disabled people and the elderly – as well as educating parents, medical and healthcare specialists, educational experts, teachers and care givers.
The recent 2015 event held under the patronage of His Excellency Sheikh Nahayan Mabarak Al Nayahan, Minister of Culture, Youth and Community Development and Honorary President of the Future Centre for Special Needs, Abu Dhabi, has been hailed as a great success.
Exhibitors and delegates alike enjoyed the event and noted the positive atmosphere signalling a move forward for Abu Dhabi, the UAE and the Middle East’s rehabilitation sector and the special needs community.
For the second year running, ABILITIESme provided the Middle Eastern community with a forum to display and discuss the latest developments in mobility, independent living solutions and rehabilitation solutions. Disabled people and their carers were able to test and try the latest technologies and solutions available.
Alongside the exhibition, the ABILITIESme conference was very well received and featured VIP government, international, regional and local speakers discussing government initiatives, policies, social inclusion and the latest information on trends in accessibility, adaptation, rehabilitation and assistive technology for disabled people.
As well as the opportunity to try different disability equipment, workshops were conducted over all three days of the event featuring exclusive learning experiences with hands on practical sessions, all aimed at providing a deeper understanding of therapies, products and services. The workshops were directed and focused on the ‘end users’ and were also useful for parents, medical and healthcare specialists, educational experts and caregivers.
Once again, the UAE Disabled Sports Federation was on hand to showcase sporting activities running parallel to the event’s overall objective, that of highlighting inclusion. The sports chosen to demonstrate this were Paralympic favourites, wheelchair basketball and goal ball – for people with visual impairments.
New for this event were the inclusion of both certified training courses and the annual Skills Challenge organised by the Future Centre in Abu Dhabi. The certified training courses were conducted in the fields of; inclusive education, talk tools and responsive interaction-based strategies that promote early social and language development and Healthy Posture for Healthy Movement.
The theme of this year’s event was ‘Inclusion’ and seen in a broader context the event aims to showcase the talents and skills of disabled people as well as how to meet the challenges of disability in order that disabled people can take up a full and active part in society.
ABILITIESme 2015 was so successful that work is already underway to create another show of this quality in 2016.
